Document linking in an email system

Abstract

A pasting operation is detected in which a user copies and pastes content from a source document into an email message. A link from the pasted content to the source document is created and the content is marked as linked content in the email message. A responsive email message, that contains a modified version of the linked content, is detected and a user actuatable element is surfaced, which can be actuated in order to automatically store the modified version of the linked content into the source document.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computing system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computing system to:
 generate a first user interface with one or more email user input mechanisms actuatable to perform email functionality, including authoring and sending a first email message; 
 detect pasting of a portion of a source document into a body of the first email message; 
 identify the pasted portion of the source document as linked content in the first email message; 
 send the first email message including the portion of the source document; 
 receive a second email message; 
 determine that the second email message
 is responsive to the first email message, and 
 includes a modified version of the linked content; 
 
 generate a second user interface that:
 renders the second email message including the modified version of the linked content, and 
 includes a version selection user input mechanism that is
 associated with the modified version of the linked content in the second email message, and 
 actuatable to select the modified version for incorporation into the source document; 
 
 
 based on user actuation of the version selection user input mechanism, select the modified version of the linked content in the second email message; and 
 in response to the selection, automatically incorporate the modified version of the linked content into the source document. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The computing system of  claim 1  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 detect the modified version of the linked content received in the second email message; 
 identify, in the modified version, a change from the source document; and 
 in response to the selection of the modified version, save the change into the source document. 
 
     
     
       3. The computing system of  claim 2  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to detect the new version of the linked content by detecting that the linked content is copied from the first email message into the second email message. 
     
     
       4. The computing system of  claim 2  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 receive a plurality of responsive email messages, each responsive email message being responsive to the first email message and includes a different modified version of the linked content; and 
 generate the second user interface to include an edit history view that:
 displays the plurality of different modified versions of the linked content, and 
 includes one or more user input mechanisms that are actuatable to select one or more of the modified versions for incorporation into the source document. 
 
 
     
     
       5. The computing system of  claim 4  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 based on detecting user actuation of the one or more user input mechanisms, select a particular one of the modified versions of the linked content; and 
 incorporate the particular modified versions into the source document. 
 
     
     
       6. The computing system of  claim 5  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 interact with a document store to update the source document with the particular modified version of the linked content. 
 
     
     
       7. The computing system of  claim 1  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 modify a permission corresponding to the source document based on recipients of the first email message. 
 
     
     
       8. The computing system of  claim 7  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 detect the recipients of the first email message. 
 
     
     
       9. The computing system of  claim 8  wherein the instructions configure the computing system to:
 set the permission corresponding to the source document based on the identified recipients. 
 
     
     
       10. A computer implemented method, comprising:
 generating a first user interface with one or more email user input mechanism actuatable to perform email functionality, including authoring and sending a first email message; 
 detecting pasting of a portion of a source document into a body of the first email message; 
 identifying the pasted portion of the source document as linked content in the first email message; 
 sending the first email message including the portion of the source document; 
 receiving a second email message; 
 determining that the second email message
 is responsive to the first email message, and 
 includes a modified version of the linked content; 
 
 generating a second user interface that:
 renders the second email message including the modified version of the linked content; and 
 includes a version selection user input mechanism that is
 associated with the modified version of the linked content in the second email message, and 
 actuatable to select the modified version for incorporation into the source document: 
 
 
 based on user actuation of the version selection user input mechanism, selecting the modified version of the linked content in the second email message; and 
 in response to the selection, automatically incorporating the modified version of the linked content into the source document. 
 
     
     
       11. The computer implemented method of  claim 10  and further comprising:
 detecting the modified version of the linked content received in the second email message; 
 identifying, in the modified version, a change from the source document; and 
 in response to the selection of the modified version, saving the change into the source document. 
 
     
     
       12. The computer implemented method of  claim 11  wherein detecting the modified version comprises:
 detecting the modified version of the linked content by detecting that the linked content is copied from the first email message into the second email message. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer implemented method of  claim 11  and further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of responsive email messages; 
 based on a thread identifier associated with each responsive email message, determining that each responsive email message is responsive to the first email message and includes a different modified version of the linked content; and 
 generating the second user interface to include a thread view that:
 displays the plurality of different modified versions of the linked content, and 
 includes one or more user input mechanisms that are actuatable to select one or more of the modified versions for incorporation into the source document. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The computer implemented method of  claim 13  wherein updating the source document comprises:
 based on detecting user actuation of the one or more user input mechanisms, selecting a particular one of the modified versions of the linked content; and 
 incorporating the particular modified versions into the source document. 
 
     
     
       15. The computer implemented method of  claim 14  wherein updating the source document comprises:
 interacting with a document store to update the source document with the particular modified version of the linked content. 
 
     
     
       16. The computer implemented method of  claim 10  and further comprising:
 modifying a permission corresponding to the source document based on recipients of the first email message. 
 
     
     
       17. The computer implemented method of  claim 16  wherein modifying a permission comprises:
 detecting the recipients of the first email message; and 
 setting the permission corresponding to the source document based on the detected recipients. 
 
     
     
       18. A computing system, comprising:
 at least one processor; and 
 memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computing system to provide:
 electronic mail (email) functionality logic configured to generate a first user interface with one or more email user input mechanisms actuatable to perform email functionality, including authoring and sending a first email message; 
 paste detector logic configured to:
 detect pasting of a portion of a source document into a body of the first email message, and 
 generate an indication of the pasting; 
 
 link generator and maintenance logic configured to:
 based on the indication from the paste detector logic, generate a link to the source document that
 identifies the pasted portion in the body of the first email message as linked content, and 
 links the pasted portion to the source document; 
 
 
 edit history generator logic configured to:
 receive an indication of a set of responsive email message, each responsive email message:
 being associated with the first email message, and 
 including a different modified version of the linked content; and 
 
 based on the link, generate a second user interface comprising a thread view that:
 displays an edit history representation including the different modified versions from the set of responsive email messages, and 
 includes one or more user input mechanisms that are actuatable to select one or more of the modified versions for incorporation into the source document; 
 
 
 a document update system configured to: 
 based on an indication of user actuation of the one or more user input mechanisms, select a particular one of the modified versions of the linked content; and
 incorporate the particular modified versions including the source document. 
 
 
 
     
     
       19. The computing system of  claim 18  wherein the document update system comprises:
 version selection detector logic configured to detect user selection of the selected version of the linked content from the edit history representation; and 
 document store interaction logic configured to interact with a document store to update the source document with the selected version of the linked content. 
 
     
     
       20. The computing system of  claim 19  wherein the instructions, when executed, configure the computing system to provide:
 recipient detector logic configured to detect the recipients of the first email message; and 
 permission setting logic configured to set a permission corresponding to the source document based on the recipients identified by the recipient detector logic.